1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to networks and, more particularly, to data transmission over networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet or the World Wide Web is a global network of interconnected computers. Clients or users can access files or documents, e.g., hypermedia documents, residing on the host website computers connected to the Internet through use of a network browser interface program. Examples of network browser interface program include Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer. One type of hypermedia documents is commonly referred to as web pages. Sites or documents on the Internet are typically chosen by a user by entering a site address, i.e., a Universal Resource Locator (URL), or by a selection of a link on a displayed web page.
FIG. 1 is a conventional client/server system 100. The conventional client/server system 100 includes a client system 102 that couples to a server system 104 via the Internet 106. In this manner, any of a plurality of local files 108 (documents) associated with the server system 104 can be delivered to the client system 102 through the Internet 106. For example, the server system 104 transfers data for files 108 to the client system 102 through the Internet 106 utilizing a standard protocol, e.g., Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), for transferring data through the Internet 106. The server system 104 represents a host website computer providing the local files 108.
Unfortunately, due to the increased popularity of the use of the Internet 106 and due to increases in file sizes that are to be delivered to the client system 102 through the Internet 106, increasing demands are placed on the server system 104 to handle the increased traffic. The file sizes continue to increase as files (e.g., web pages) become more elaborate and more graphical. As a result, congestion tends to develop at a link 110 that couples the server system 104 to the Internet 106. The link 110 is typically a leased 1:1 line or other high speed connection (e.g., a T1 or T4 line), also referred to as a high speed, high bandwidth telecommunication link. However, when numerous client systems seek to access the same server system 104, the link 110 faces congestion because the bandwidth supported by the link 110 is limited. Such congestion or increased traffic also places a substantial burden on the server system 104 to satisfy all of the requests for the local files 108. Besides the problematic congestion that develops at the link 110, the increased popularity of the Internet 106 and the increases in file sizes transmitted through the Internet 106, there is also general congestion in the Internet 106. This general congestion (or traffic) leads to slowed data transfer through the Internet 106, and thus clients or users face long waiting times.
Conventional solutions to these traffic or congestion problems have caused website owners to increase the number of server systems 104 they operate and have caused website owners to lease additional bandwidth for the links 110. Typically, if the website owner has multiple server systems 104, they are operated in a clustered or mirrored fashion. The ability to use mirrored web sites allows different server systems carrying the same content to be placed in different geographic locations and/or telecommunication regions of the United States or the world. This helps disperse, or at least localize, the traffic or congestion. Also, by leasing additional bandwidth, additional amounts of traffic can be supported. While both of these approaches do allow additional traffic to be supported, they are expensive solutions and require website owners to purchase hardware and lease bandwidth suitable for worst case scenarios. Website owners find purchasing hardware and leasing of bandwidth for worst case scenarios too expensive. Worst case scenarios are also difficult to predict given the rapid growth of Internet usage. As a result, traffic and congestion problems continue to result during periods of high demand.
Therefore, there is a need for improved techniques for efficiently and economically providing data transfer through data networks during high traffic conditions.